ELLENVILLE – It's beginning to look a lot like....Christmas? Already?

No sooner have we stuffed away the turkey and trimmings, we're decking the halls. And with little by way of snow in the forecast for the coming days, those at the Wawarsing town hall were decorating between rain drops Tuesday morning in preparation for the Ellenville-Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce winter window display competition on December 3, all part of the annual Wawarsing Wassail efforts.

All the twinkle lights and Santa silhouettes adorning store fronts throughout Ellenville's business district will certainly put a spring in the steps of those participating in this years' EWCOC Wassail, which boasts an impressive month-long schedule of activities, set to kick-off this Friday, December 2.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. that first day, Sprague & Killeen at 116 Canal Street will be hosting a hat and coat drive, with cookies and hot cocoa available. On Saturday, December 3 there is a breakfast with Santa hosted by the Ellenville Nursery School to be held at the Masonic Lodge at 16 Center Street from 8 to 11 a.m., after which the Ellenville Reformed Church at 188 Canal Street will be holding their annual Christmas sale from 10 a.m. to 12 noon (to be repeated on December 7).

With shopping out of the way, revelers can hop over to Cohen's Bakery at 89 Center Street to make holiday cookies from 11a.m. to 1 p.m., after which Kim Warren of Mimmy's Mini Cakes is opening her bakery from 1 to 4 p.m. to budding bakers interested in decorating cupcakes for the holidays, with all proceeds going to the Ellenville Center for Spectrum Services. Mimmy's will also host a stone soup celebration, with ongoing narratives of the beloved children's story and proceeds going to programs for local youth... from 1 to 7 p.m., all on Liberty Square, where the high school's local radio station will also be broadcasting live.

At 4 p.m. on Saturday, there will be a tree lighting at New Beginnings Church at 69 Center Street. And just a hop up the hill, there will be a traditional Scottish Ceilidh gathering sponsored by the Cragsmoor Historical Society & Cragsmoor Free Library at 349 Cragsmoor Road complete with live Gaelic music, storytelling and tea and treats.

At 5 p.m., the second annual Joshua R. Peters Memorial Electric Fire Truck Parade will kick off at Berme Road Park, traveling back up Canal to end at Liberty Square, followed by the village tree lighting. Rounding out Saturday's festivities is a penny social at the Napanoch Fire House on 25 Plank Road, starting at 5:30 p.m.

On Sunday, Dec. 4, activities continue with the annual senior luncheon sponsored by the Noonday Club at the Ellenville High School cafeteria, starting at 1 p.m. There will also be a tree lighting, caroling, crafts and Santa along 42nd Street in Kerhonkson, sponsored by Hot Shotz and the Kerhonkson Fire House.

Winter Wassail festivities continue the following weekends leading to Christmas Day, culminating with the annual village Menorah Lighting and Chanukah Celebration starting at 5 p.m. on December 25 at Liberty Square, sponsored by Congregation Ezrath Israel Chabad.

For a complete listing of Wassail events, visit the Ellenville-Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce webpage at www.ewcoc.com.